Tuesday, March 30, 2010

TANKED

Prices of diesel fuel vary wildly across our nation, mostly because of each State’s spin on how it is taxed. Where we host the campground up in Colorado, the fuel is often times as much as .25 cents per. gallon cheaper than in surrounding states, and is usually cheaper than gasoline. Our neighboring State, Oklahoma, eleven miles away, seems to usually  be .15 cents per gallon less than here in Arkansas.

We chose to be pro active about that, and installed a 60 gallon, gravity flow, hidden in the aluminum tool box, fuel tank. This allows us to search the internet along our route for the cheapest fuel prices and purchase there.  While driving past the higher priced fuel stops because of our extended range that the extra fuel capacity gives us.

With the normal pickup trucks fuel tank size of, say 20 gallons, you could potentially save $5. at a .25 cent per gallon price reduction. However if you can buy 100 gallons of fuel because of a larger tank capacity, your savings jumps to $25.

It doesn’t take long for that to add up over a year’s traveling. Here is a look at our tank set up.

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The tank is below the top of the pickup bed, should we want to put a bed cover on the truck.100_1608

The fill port has a lockable cap and the tool box it is in can also be locked. I like the idea that there is a fuel gauge in the tank. The dashboard fuel gauge also works as well.

 100_1609Lakeside Metal Fabrication in Mena, Arkansas, owner Johnny Herring is doing the install for us. He is the one that made our cool generator cover for the front of our Ollie.

100_1606  There is no fuel pump required, there is instead, a check valve where the auxiliary tank ties into your regular fuel tank’s fill up line. Check valve ? Here is a quick video look:

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